Abraham's Son, Chapter 10

INT. RESTAURANT - NIGHT

ABRAHAM and SANDY sit at a table in restaurant and eat, drink and talk, but we cannot hear them.  ABRAHAM wears a suit and tie. SANDY is fashionably dressed with a low cut dress, her hair up and wearing a pearl necklace. 

EXT. IN FRONT OF SANDY'S HOME - NIGHT

After dinner, ABRAHAM takes SANDY to her home. They stand in front of her front door. 

SANDY: That was lovely, ABRAHAM. Thank you. 

ABRAHAM: I'm glad you enjoyed it. Good night. 

SANDY puts her arms around ABRAHAM's neck and kisses him on his lips. 

SANDY: Come inside. Please. 

SANDY takes ABRAHAM's hand, opens the door and they both enter her home. 

INT. COFFEE SHOP - DAY

Sunday afternoon, after watching movie together, SARA and ABRAHAM drink coffee and talk. 

SARA: So, my friend, MARIA, invites me... Did I mention her?

ABRAHAM: I don't think so.

SARA: She's been great. So different from me. An extrovert. Kinda taken me under her wing. Anyway, Friday night we went to this bar on Northern Boulevard. Drinkin' beers and sharing. Nice. And she's flirting, trying to attract some cute guys. And then two cute guys show up. 

ABRAHAM: Good. 

SARA: So, I'm talkin' to this guy DAVE. Handsome, with muscles, does construction in the city. But doesn't know movies, not like us. Anyway, he kisses me and...and then I kiss him back. Kinda fun. Then, he got fresh, but I told him not yet. 

ABRAHAM: A lot of guys are only interested in one thing, SARA.

SARA: Tell me something I don't know. But, this guy, DAVE, he's kinda nice. He called me Saturday morning. We talked for a few minutes. Made a date for Friday night...to see a movie at my place...on TCM. 

ABRAHAM: You think that's a good idea? You just met him. 

SARAL Don't worry. My brothers taught me how to kick the shit out of some guy don't take no for an answer. 

ABRAHAM: Wow! 

SARA: So, I'll order a pizza and some beers and we'll see how much he likes a classic romantic movie. 

ABRAHAM: Good luck...You know, last night I had kind of a nice time, too. 

SARA: Really. Tell me. 

ABRAHAM: Well, my cousin SYLVIA tried to fix me up with this widow she knows, SANDY. Last weekend SANDY had this open house with a lot of great food I couldn't resist. Anyhow, she starts talking about how I should have a woman in my life and I got annoyed and walked out. Well, all week I was feeling bad because I was rude to her. 

SARA: Yeah, you were. 

ABRAHAM: So, yesterday at the synagogue I apologized. Then I invited her to have dinner with me. So we had dinner last night at a French restaurant on Bell Boulevard. Anyway, after I drove her home, she invited me in. It felt strange. Being with another woman. First time in more than 30 years. But, she's very kind. I like her.

SARA: I'm happy for you, ABRAHAM. 

INT. THEATER AT LINCOLN CENTER - NIGHT

On the following Friday night, ABRAHAM and SANDY sit in a crowded theater listening to a concert of Beethoven's Symphony No. 9. At one point she reaches over and holds his hand. Later, she leans her head against his shoulder. 

INT. SARA'S APARTMENT - NIGHT

It is the same Friday night. SARA and DAVE sit together on her sofa watching TV. They eat pizza and drink beer while watching the classic 1957 film An Affair to Remember with Deborah Kerr. At the end of the film, we hear TERRY's final lines. 

TERRY (O.S.): Oh, it's nobody's fault but my own. I was looking up. It was the nearest thing to heaven. You were there. Oh, darling. Don't worry, darling. If you can paint, I can walk. Anything can happen, don't you think? 

SARA grabs a tissue to dab away tears that come to her eyes because of film's romantic conclusion. As music from TV fades away, she turns it off. 

SARA: So, what do ya think? 

DAVE: (hesitates, gathering his thoughts) Well, I think it was good, but...I don't get why TERRY didn't tell Nickie she was crippled. Yeah, she had her pride and didn't want him to feel sorry for her, but...it didn't make sense. Had an uncle who took care of my aunt for years after suffering a stroke. Love is love. 

SARA: And... 

DAVE: And what? 

SARA: I want more. 

DAVE: (takes another drink of beer) Well...it was kind of interesting seeing New York 60 years ago, the way people dressed and talked and seeing some buildings that are gone now and no cell phones or computers. 

SARA: You passed the test. 

A surprised DAVE watches as SARA removes beer and pizza and then moves towards him. She leans into his body hugging him and caressing him with kisses. SARA lays on top of DAVE as they start to make love, removing their clothing. 

SARA: You better have protection, buddy. 

DAVE: I do. 

INT. SANDY'S LIVING ROOM - NIGHT 

At the same time, ABRAHAM and SANDY sit next to each other on the sofa as SANDY leans her head next to his shoulder. 

SANDY: Did you enjoy the concert, ABRAHAM? 

ABRAHAM: It's been a long time since I heard such beautiful music. 

SANDY: I feel so happy...sitting here with you. We had such a wonderful evening. I don't want it to end. 

ABRAHAM Everything ends. 

SANDY: ABRAHAM, I don't want you to go. Stay with me tonight. Please. 

Tears come to SANDY's eyes. She puts her arms around ABRAHAM's neck and kisses him passionately. He responds in kind. They slowly rise, hold hands and she leads him towards her bedroom, and they enter it. 

INT. SANDY'S BEDROOM - NIGHT 

ABRAHAM and SANDY enter her bedroom. He looks around as it's his first time there. They move together towards her bed. They kiss and then start taking off each other's clothes.

The Big Ten Conference

The Big Ten Conference is the oldest Division I collegiate athletic conference in the USA.  Starting in 1896, it consisted of the Universities of Illinois, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Chicago, Northwestern University and Purdue University.  

The Universities of Indiana and Iowa joined in 1899.  Ohio State University made it a group of Ten in 1912.

The University of Chicago dropped out of the Big Ten in 1946, replaced by the Michigan State University in 1950.  "In the late 1930s, Chicago's university president Robert Maynard Hutchins decided that big-time college football and the university's commitment to academics were not compatible."

In 1990, Penn State University, became the eleventh member of the Big Ten.  Regarding football, it had been an independent, meaning not a member of any league or conference.

In 2010, the University of Nebraska, formerly a member of the Big XII Conference, joined the Big Ten as its twelfth member.  In 2012, the University of Maryland (an original member of the Atlantic Coast Conference) and Rutgers University (the State University of New Jersey) became the thirteenth and fourteenth members of the Big Ten.

"On June 30, 2022, UCLA (University of California Los Angeles) and USC (University of Southern California) announced that they will be joining the Big Ten Conference effective August 2, 2024." 

Why do so many major universities want to join the Big Ten?  Because it is one of the two most powerful conferences in the country.  The other being the Southeastern Conference (SEC). 

The expansion to sixteen members delayed the announcement of its new television contract.  "On August 18, 2022, the Big Ten announced a media rights deal with Fox, CBS, NBC and Peacock. The deal is reportedly worth more than $7 billion per year, which is estimated to bring $80–$100 million per year to each member school."  The Big Ten proves what a gigantic business college sports is.  

The Big Ten sponsors the following men's sports: baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, gymnastics, ice hockey, lacrosse, soccer, swimming & diving, tennis, track and field (both indoor & outdoor) and wrestling.

The Big Ten sponsors the following women's sports: basketball, cross country, field hockey, golf, gymnastics, lacrosse, rowing, soccer, softball, swimming & diving, tennis, track and field (both indoor & outdoor) and volleyball.  

 

The Fugitive

"In the early morning hours of July 4, 1954, Marilyn Sheppard was bludgeoned to death in her bed with an unknown instrument. The bedroom was covered with blood spatter and drops of blood were found on floors throughout the house.  

According to her husband, Dr. Sam Sheppard, he was sleeping soundly on a daybed when he heard the cries from his wife. He ran upstairs where he was knocked unconscious. When he awoke, he saw a person downstairs, chased the intruder out of the house down to the beach where they tussled and Sheppard was knocked unconscious again."

The police, not believing his story, charged Sheppard with his wife's murder.  He was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison.  After serving ten years behind bars, Sheppard was re-tried and found not guilty.  

From 1963 to 1967, David Janssen starred as the fictional Dr. Richard Kimble in the very popular TV series, The Fugitive, which was based on the Sheppard case.  Kimble's wife is murdered, he is unjustly convicted and escapes custody while on his way to prison.  Kimble spends the next four years searching for the actual murderer, all the while evading capture by the police.

The series final episode, shown on August 29, 1967, currently holds the third rank for the all-time highest U.S. television household share, at 72%.  My first wife's (Bonita's) sister Helaine hosted a party for fans of The Fugitive to watch the finale together.  I was there with Bonita and many others.

Unbeknownst to me at the time, but fifteen year-old Cristina Rolim, my current wife, was an avid fan of the series and in love with David Janssen.  Unfortunately, in Brazil the series was dubbed into Portuguese.  Years later, I bought a DVD of some of episodes of The Fugitive so Cristina could hear the real voice of David Janssen.

In 1993, a movie version of the TV show was produced which starred Harrison Ford as Kimble and Tommy Lee Jones as Deputy U.S. Marshal Sam Gerard.  After escaping custody while on his way to prison, Kimble is pursued by Gerard.  

Gerard finally catches up to Kimble high up at a dam (actually the Cheoah Dam in North Carolina).  Kimble says, "I didn't kill my wife."  In a classic line, Gerard responds, "I don't care."  

Kimble then escapes capture by risking his life, jumping from the dam into the water far below.  He miraculously survives to continue his life as The Fugitive.   

2022 Trip to New York

 Our trip to New York City, which began on Thursday, September 22, exceeded the high expectations I had for it.  I spent a lot of quality time with my family:  my daughter Rachel, her husband Mike, my grandchildren Nate and Leo, my son Bret and his fiancée Pam.

The two flights with American Airlines to and from JFK Airport were smooth, but I wish the stewards and stewardesses would learn some Portuguese.  How many Brazilians on the planes understood, "chicken or pasta?"

On the flight to New York, I watched the films The Big Chill (1983) with Kevin Kline and Glenn Close and Spike Lee's Do The Right Thing (1989).  On the return trip, I watched The Bucket List (2007) with Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman and Father of the Bride (1950) with Spencer Tracy and Elizabeth Taylor.  

On the first Friday, we arrived at our hotel, Courtyard by Marriott, on East 92nd Street.  The location was great, a short walk from my daughter's penthouse apartment.  However, there was no breakfast, no laundry service and worse, a bath tub instead of a walk in shower.

On the first day, we had breakfast at the Midnight Express Diner on the corner of East 89th Street and Second Avenue.  Cristina and I both had pancakes with maple syrup.  We returned for lunch later.

After breakfast, we walked to the Wells Fargo branch on East 86th Street to attempt to open bank accounts.  Unfortunately, we could not as we were not permanent residents of the USA.  Truist and First Horizon banks had no such restriction.  I don't understand why a bank would lock out potential customers.

We then went to a nearby Gristedes supermarket where we bought My-T-Fine chocolate pudding (an old brand from my youth) plus other items.  

Later we went to Rachel's lovely apartment on East 90th Street to especially see my grandsons for the first time in more than three years.  Mike cooked a wonderful chicken dinner plus two side dishes.  We also received sweatshirts that had been waiting for us since Nate's bar mitzvah (2020).

On Saturday afternoon at Rachel's, we watched on TV the Michigan (Rachel's alma mater) against Maryland (Bret's) college football game which was very competitive.  Coincidentally, Bret also gave me a sweatshirt.  I love sweatshirts.  At night we all went to Luke's Bar & Grill on Third Avenue.  I enjoyed the Mike Wallace (late great TV journalist) meatloaf with mashed potatoes.

On Sunday, we (along with Pam's father Ron) had brunch at the Barking Dog restaurant at the corner of East 94th Street and Third Avenue.  I had a delicious pastrami sandwich on rye bread with mustard and melted swiss cheese.

For Sunday night Rachel had bought tickets for us (Rachel, Mike, Leo, Bret, Cristina and me) to go to Yankee Stadium to watch the Yankee-Red Sox baseball game.  There was great interest as the Yankee's Aaron Judge was trying to break the American League's single season home run record (61).  He went one (hit) for two (at bats) plus a walk, but no home run.  

After six innings, a terrible rain storm broke out stopping the game (Yankees won 2-0) and sending thousands of fans running to the exits and home.  Mike was our hero finding a taxi, but not before we were all soaking wet.

Monday, I had lunch with Bret back at the diner.  I couldn't resist the apple pie on the dessert menu.  As it was the Jewish New Year (Rosh Hashanah), Mike cooked a lovely brisket for us all.  His cooking was better than any restaurant we went to.

Tuesday, while Cristina went shopping, I took Nate and Leo to a local sushi restaurant so we could get to know each other better.  Afterwards, we watched one of my favorite movies (and one they had never seen), High Noon (1952) with Gary Cooper and Grace Kelly.  Nate and Leo both said they enjoyed the movie.

Wednesday, we took a taxi to Herald Square and shopped at H&M and Macy's, where I bought another sweatshirt.  Cristina and I had lunch at Just Salad, one of many restaurants in the store.  Wednesday night we had dinner at The Back Room at Delizia, a restaurant at the corner of East 92nd Street and Second Avenue.  It is a pizzeria in front and a dining room in the back.  I had a delicious veal scallopini.  There was a pianist there who played a Brazilian song.

Thursday, we went to Men's Wearhouse on Madison Avenue and 45th Street to be fitted for a tuxedo I will wear at Bret and Pam's wedding next May in St. Augustine, FL.  We then walked to Barnes & Noble on Fifth Avenue where I bought two books: Lessons by Ian McEwen and American Pastoral by Philip Roth.  After lunch at Panera Bread we visited St. Patrick's Cathedral.  We celebrated Leo's 12th birthday with a delicious banana cake.   

Friday, we went to the New Balance store on Third Avenue where I bought a new pair of walking shoes plus sweat pants.  Then, it was lunch at Ess-a-Bagel, where Cristina and I always have a plain bagel with cream cheese, nova and tomato.  Then it was on to Bath and Body Works and more shopping.  For dinner, we were joined by Rachel and Mike (Nate and Leo had made their own plans) at Delizia where a jazz trio was playing.  I had tilapia.

Saturday, after a wet morning, we spent the day with Rachel, Mike, Nate and Leo.  We all ate dinner at the nearby diner.

Sunday, back at Rachel's for lunch until 3 PM when they started to prepare for a kids party re: Leo's birthday.  Dinner was at Chez Nicks, a very nice restaurant around the corner from the hotel on York Avenue.  I had the butternut squash agnolotti.  In spite of the perfect sidewalks in New York (unlike Sao Paulo), on our way back from the restaurant, I tripped over my own feet and fell into some bushes.  I'm OK.

Monday, after lunch at the Barking Dog, we ordered a car service (Carmel) which showed up on time and got us to JFK for our flight to Sao Paulo.  We had reserved a car (call 7) to pick us up at JFK on our arrival in New York, but they didn't show up.  

Finally, the taxi driver we requested to pick us up at Guarulhos Tuesday morning was there.  Looking forward to next May's trip to St. Augustine where I will be with my family again. 

  

Abraham's Son, Chapter 9

 EXT. IN BACK OF BAR ­ NIGHT

SARA and DAVE light cigarettes and smoke them in silence.  Then DAVE gets closer to SARA. 

DAVE: You know, you really turn me on.  

SARA: What's that supposed to mean? 

DAVE leans forward taking hold of SARA's shoulders and attempts to kiss her.  SARA at first hesitates, but after their lips awkwardly touch, she accepts his kiss and responds gently.

SARA: That was nice.  But, don't get the wrong idea.  I'm not fucking you tonight.  We just met.  

DAVE: Calm down.  Who said I wanted to fuck you?  I just wanted to see how you kiss. 

SARA: So, what do ya think? 

DAVE: Not sure yet.

They kiss again, this time in a mutual embrace.  However, DAVE starts touching SARA's breasts.  She is startled. 

SARA: Okay, fella, that's enough.  Back off. 

DAVE: No problem.  I thought you'd want it. 

SARA: Not tonight.  We just got introduced.  (pause)  Why don't we go back inside and you buy me another beer.

DAVE: Sure. 

SARA and DAVE re­enter the bar.

EXT. IN FRONT OF SYNAGOGUE ­ DAY 

It's next Saturday morning.  ABRAHAM waits outside synagogue before religious services are scheduled to begin.  Finally, he sees SANDY approaching.  He walks toward her. 

ABRAHAM: SANDY, gut shabbos. 

SANDY: Gut shabbos, ABRAHAM.  Nice to see you again.

ABRAHAM: Look, I'm sorry for my behavior last Sunday.  I was rude.  I know you were only trying to be friendly.  That's an area I have difficulty talking about.  I hope you'll forgive me. 

SANDY: Of course I forgive you. 

ABRAHAM: Thank you.  (pause) I owe you for the wonderful food I ate at your open house.  How about having dinner with me some time? 

SANDY: That would be wonderful. 

ABRAHAM: When's good for you? 

SANDY 8:00 tonight. 

ABRAHAM: (hesitating) I'll pick you up.  Shall we go inside?

SANDY: I'd love to.

SANDY and ABRAHAM enter the synagogue together.

_________

I will be on vacation the next two Sundays.  The next blog post will be October 9.

Heavyweight Boxing Championship Fight

 On February 6, 1993, a friend of mine and I attended a heavyweight boxing championship fight at Madison Square Garden in New York City.  On December 7, 1963, I had attended another championship fight (middleweight), this time in Atlantic City, NJ.  But the heavyweight championship is the ultimate boxing event.

The champion was Riddick Bowe, undefeated with 32 fights.  That included 27 by knockout.  It was his first defense of his title after defeating the previous champion, Evander Holyfield, three months earlier.

Bowe was born August 10, 1967 in Brooklyn, NY (25 years-old).  In the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, South Korea, he won the Silver Medal (second place) in the heavyweight boxing division.  Bowe turned professional in March 1989.  

The challenger was Michael Dokes who had a record of 50 wins (33 knockouts), 3 losses (2 knockouts) and 2 draws.  He had a 9 fight winning streak (5 knockouts) over the previous 15 months.

Dokes was born August 10, 1958 in Akron, OH (34 years-old, with the same birthday as Bowe).  He also won a silver medal at the 1975 Pan American Games.  Dokes turned pro in 1976.      

In 1982, Dokes won the heavyweight championship when he knocked out Mike Weaver in one round.  He lost the title 10 months later when he was knocked out by Gerrie Coetzee.

The Bowe-Dokes fight last only 2 minutes, 18 seconds.  After Dokes took some damaging punches from Bowe, Referee Joe Santarpia stopped the fight.  Bowe retained his championship.  We had hardly warmed our seats when it was time to go home.

Many in the large crowd did not like the referee's decision as they believed they did not get their money's worth.  Afterall, Dokes was never off his feet.  However, ring side commentator and former heavyweight champion, George Foreman, thought the referee should have stopped the fight sooner.

Bowe lost his title back to Holyfield by a decision in November 1993 (his only defeat).  He avenged that by knocking out Holyfield in November 1995.  Bowe's last fight was in 2008.

Alongside Gene Tunney, Rocky Marciano, Sultan Ibragimov and Nikolai Valuev, Bowe is one of only five former heavyweight champions to have never suffered a stoppage defeat during his career.

Bowe was convicted of the February 1998 kidnapping of his estranged wife Judy, and their five children.  Thinking it would reconcile his marriage, Bowe went to his wife's Cornelius, North Carolina home and threatened her with a knife, handcuffs, duct tape, and pepper spray. 

Bowe forced her and their children into a vehicle and set out for his Fort Washington, Maryland home.  During the kidnapping, he stabbed his wife in the chest.  Police captured Bowe in South Hill, Virginia, freeing his family.   

Bowe agreed to a plea bargain of guilty to "interstate domestic violence", and was sentenced to 18 to 24 months in Federal prison.  He served 17 months.

Dokes had five more fights over the next four years.  In 1999 Dokes was sentenced to between four and fifteen years in prison after being convicted of an attack on his fiancée in August 1998.  Late in 2008, he was released on parole.  

Dokes died of liver cancer at a hospice in Akron in 2012, a day after his 54th birthday.

 

  

Field of Dreams

 Kevin Costner, the actor, was born in 1955 in Lynwood, CA.  As a young man, after a chance encounter on a commercial airliner with Richard Burton, the actor, he decided to pursue an acting career.  Costner has been in three films with a baseball theme.

In 1988, Costner portrayed Crash Davis, a veteran minor league baseball player in the film Bull Durham, which also starred Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins.  The title refers to the name of the team, the Bulls, located in Durham, NC.  

For six years, I lived in nearby Chapel Hill.  With my friend and fellow baseball fan, Bob Duprez, I once attended a Durham Bulls home game.

My favorite quote from the movie is when Crash, while at bat, calls time out and goes over to the bat boy for a rag to wipe his bat.  

Bat boy:  Get a hit, Crash.

Crash:  Shut Up.

In 1989, Costner played Ray Kinsella, an Iowa farmer, in the film Field of Dreams, which also starred Amy Madigan, James Earl Jones, Ray Liotta, Dwier Brown and Burt Lancaster (in his last movie).  Walking through his cornfield one day, he hears a mysterious voice say, "If you build it, he will come."

Build what?  Who is he?  Ray sees a vision of a baseball diamond in the cornfield and "Shoeless" Joe Jackson (a former baseball player who in real-life died in 1951) standing in the middle.  Ray plows under part of their corn crop to build a baseball field at risk of financial hardship.

Some time later, "Shoeless" Joe Jackson (Ray Liotta) walks out from the remaining cornfield and asks if other (dead) ballplayers from his era (1908-1920) can join him and play on Ray's baseball diamond.

It turns out it wasn't "Shoeless" Joe Jackson who was the he, as in "he will come."  It was Ray's father, John Kinsella (Brown).  

John had been playing catcher and when he removed his mask, Ray recognizes his late father as a young man.   As John begins to head towards the cornfield, Ray, calling him "Dad", asks if he wants to have a catch. John gladly accepts. 

This scene brings to my mind the many times I played catch with my son Bret when he was a boy.  Ray and I shared a love for the game of baseball which can bring together fathers and sons.  

In 1999, Costner starred in the film For Love of the Game as major league pitcher Billy Chapel near the end of his career.  The beloved announcer Vin Scully portrayed himself while broadcasting the game Chapel was pitching against the New York Yankees.

Chapel pitches a perfect game (27 batters, 27 outs) and then retires from professional baseball.  From 1880 until today, there have been only 23 perfect games in Major League Baseball.  A rare event!